Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/473011
TECHNOLOGY ON PATROL 20 Law Enforcement Technology March 2015 www.officer.com decision-making in a critical incident response. If used during incidents, the West Covina Robotics Squad is likewise based at the mobile command center where they can link audio/video feeds from their robots to a centralized monitoring station within the MCC. In this capacity, decision makers are again able to utilize live informa- tion and intelligence in deployment strategies. The MCC has been deployed several times since its arrival at West Covina in both simulated training events and in operational response to several real world incidents in the area. According to Lt. Benschop it has "quickly proven its functionality and worth to the city." The first deployment of the MCC in a tactical environment was in a large scale training exer- cise conducted inside a regional shopping mall in the City of West Covina. The readiness exercise simulated an active shooter sce- nario that shared similarities in its structure of events to the Westfield Shopping Center active shooter terrorist attack September 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya. The simulated event involved a scenario constructed around four terrorists launching an armed assault on the general public inside a shopping mall. This scenario incorporated a response from sev- eral surrounding law enforcement agencies, including the LA County Sheriff 's Department and the California Highway Patrol. A large scale critical incident training event requires a massive amount of planning and coordina- tion, including notifying the public of the event and giving plenty of warning to prevent panic. The city of West Covina went one step further by asking for the public's assistance in carrying out the event. The city received assistance that day from between 150 to 170 local residents willing to play the part of victims of the attack, ranging from Circle 10 on Reader Service Card West Covina Police's state-of-the-art mobile command center offers private space for critical staff to work in an uninterrupted environment.